Family
by Roxie Archer
Summary: Ryou has only two people left in his life to call family. He can live with that, but can they?  yaoi RyouxBakura and MalikxMarik


Author's note: This fic is actually...very old. It was one of the first YGO fanfics I started and then it sat...for years, until I actually went back to it and, by some miracle, finished it.

It's been a long time since I've uploaded anything. My computer died and then I died but I continue to exist and while that's happening, I'll continue to write so here's this and just know...I really am trying to work on the important ones.

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- Family -

Bakura hated the Ring. Since he'd gotten his own body, he hated sleeping in it. He'd gotten into the habit of either sleeping on the roof, or next to Ryou. But every night since Ryou's father had been home, he'd slept in the Ring.

"Please, Bakura." Ryou had begged him, near tears, as though he'd already said no. "It's only for a few days. It's just…our lives are so separate now. He doesn't need to know the things that would worry him."

And Bakura had agreed. Since Ryou lived his own life and that distance was not his doing, that life was none of his father's business. But _Mr. Bakura_ had been around for three days now. He had met with Ryou's teachers and answered his phone calls and gotten his mail. And Ryou was a nervous wreck. He couldn't sleep at night and what little sleep he got was fitful and restless. Ryou had hidden and rehidden all of his things. He had reprogrammed the radio stations and blocked some of the tv channels. He was constantly checking his watch and Bakura had had about enough.

Ryou kept chanting 'it's only a few more days' while he hid every trace of himself from the invader. No more hard music, no more girly movies, no more poetry or heated incense. When he'd asked his friends not to stop by for a few days, he had not even been able to look at them, because being "gay" was a taboo after all and the Millennium Puzzle might draw unwanted attention as his father was an archeologist.

Stripped of everything that defined him, everything of which he was proud, Ryou Bakura became a thing that pained his yami to see. He had become the boy of several years past, shy and reserved, who's father had abandoned him in his grief for work. All in the interest of placating that same man.

"I can care for you, you know." Bakura had said one evening on the way home from school. "I can provide for you. You don't need him necessarily."

Ryou sighed defeatedly. "It's not that. … It's just…he's the only family I have left. And I just … I'm not ready to burn that bridge yet."

Bakura understood. It was just like his revenge. He'd clung to it for centuries - because it was all he had left of the past. With no more argument, Bakura faded away into the Ring, praying that Ryou's mantra would cast the spell soon.

"I'm home." Ryou called as he entered the house, leaving his shoes by the door.

"Ryou," his father called back from the kitchen "come have a seat. I think we need to have a talk."

Ryou paused briefly, a thousand terrible scenarios racing through his mind, each more terrible than the last, concerning which of the many incriminating possessions his father might have found.

When he entered the kitchen his eyes immediately found the fateful objects; one of Bakura's favorite daggers, still in it's sheath, lying across a carefully folded piece of paper in the middle of the table. Bakura had knives and daggers hidden in various places all over the house and Ryou didn't know all of them. Ryou took it in stride, waiting for his father to tell him where he'd found it and demand an explanation of him.

"Ryou," and he didn't look happy "would you mind explaining to me why there is a hole carved into the living room floor … and what in God's name you are doing with this." If he had been trying to remain calm, he failed as the sentence progressed.

Ryou remained expressionless and Bakura watched the scene from his soul room, curious as to what his light would do now. After a long moment, Ryou finally decided on a reply. "I'm sorry about the floor." he said, eyes trained on the linoleum. "I can pay to have it repaired myself."

"That's not the point, Ryou." his father returned sternly. Ryou had thought not. "What are you doing hiding weaponry in the house? And _what is this?_" and he grabbed up the piece of paper. Bakura bristled as he flipped it open roughly. "_Dark comforting abyss, sacrificial blood and incense. My yami comes to me in the dead of night to pay homage in heathen rights…_" he read from the paper in a tone that enraged Bakura. "What is the meaning of this? The Ryou that I know would never have written such…sadistic garbage."

That was it. Bakura emerged from the Ring, sliding his dagger free of it's sheath and slamming it into the table beneath the man's nose. "Say it again." he snarled dangerously.

_Mr. Bakura_ pulled back in shock. For a moment, he might have thought that it was Ryou but the dark crimson eyes narrowing before his vision, glinting with fire above partially exposed fangs drove that thought from his mind, replacing it with a new nightmare.

But before he could contemplate the situation, Ryou appeared, sliding a hand across the other's to rest lightly on the hilt of the knife. The imposter released his grip, straightening to glare down at the frightened man below him.

Ryou pulled the dagger from the table calmly. "Father," he said, resheathing the blade "this is Bakura, my darkness, the spirit of my Millennium Ring."

"_What?_"

"You're not around much anymore, dad. And things have changed. … I've moved on."

…

"And _him?_" Ryou's father had lost his demanding tone. He seemed far less assertive with Bakura glaring at him.

"Bakura is the spirit of an Egyptian thief who existed several millennia ago and was trapped inside the Ring you gave me." And here Ryou held up said object as he explained. "When the Ring fell into my hands, he became a part of me, weather by fate or chance, Bakura and I are two halves of the same soul. His original soul evolved into that." Ryou could see the gears turning in his father's head. He would blame Bakura for all of Ryou's questionable new traits and he decided to address the problem head-on. "And don't think that you can blame Bakura for the things you don't like about me. I've evolved too."

Ryou's father took a moment to process this new information. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?" was what he finally decided to say.

Ryou sighed. "Do you honestly think … that I can approach you - about anything? Dad, there's a ghost in my head. Dad, he's teaching me to be strong - like you never did. Dad, I control the shadows. Dad, I'm gay. How could any son say those things to his father? How could any father believe him?"

"You're what?"

"I'm all grown up dad."

"No." the other countered. "I think that's the problem. You're not all grown up; you just think you are. And as much as you may think otherwise, you just…you don't have…"

"I love him dad. And I'm also…a part of him. I want…I just want you to understand. This is who I am."

Ryou's father eyed Bakura, trying to visualize all that Ryou was telling him and found it an overwhelming task. "Somehow, I don't think your …spirit friend… feels the same as you do."

Ryou didn't need to look at Bakura to envision the steady scowl on his face as he glared dangerously at the man he perceived to be the invader. "My …_spirit friend_…" Ryou answered steadily "is likely ten seconds from sending your soul to the shadow realm to be feasted on by monsters for insulting the poem that I wrote as his tribute for our anniversary."

His father seemed to consider that. "It seems that you and I have some…matters to discuss. And if getting to know one another all over again is what has to happen, then that's what we'll do… But I will not be bullied in my own home."

Bakura bristled visibly and, again not turning to see it, Ryou rushed ahead with a reply. "So long as it is also my home, it is his home too."

"Well, I won't be bullied by you either." Mr. Bakura returned diplomatically. "Now, hand me the knife." and he held out his hand expectantly.

"The dagger is mine." Bakura said, snatching it from Ryou. "And any other weapons or questionable items you find in this house are also mine. … And so is Ryou mine." he added as an afterthought, snatching Ryou and enveloping him in an iron grip.

Ryou's father shot from his seat. "Unhand my son!"

"I don't think so." Bakura returned, giving his opponent a sadistic grin.

"Oh, Bakura." Ryou sighed exasperatedly. The shadows began to close in around them.

"You take a while to think on it." Bakura advised, burying his nose in his light's hair. "We'll be back in the morning." he added, sensing Ryou's reluctance to leave his father like that. And then they were gone, swallowed by the dissipating dark shadows.

"I wish you hadn't done that." Ryou said as they reappeared in the dark abyss of the shadow realm.

"I forgot my poem." Bakura said with a scowl, mentally kicking himself for leaving without it.

"I have it memorized." Ryou answered him and Bakura seemed to relax.

Bakura hated poetry and such girly things, really, but weather _that_ poem was about him or because it was written by Ryou for him, it was likely his second or third favorite possession - Ryou being his first.

"We'll just duel Kaiba for a room at his house, or ask the Ishtars." Bakura said offhandedly, finally replying to Ryou's first statement. "Maybe I'll sell off some o' the stuff from the basement and buy a house."

"Bakura." Ryou said, turning to his dark.

"Huh?"

"Shut up." Ryou ordered exhaustedly, wrapping his arms around Bakura's neck and pulling him into a deep kiss, dispelling all thought of such frivolities.

Ryou's father had not slept that night. Not even a half a bottle of liquor had given him rest. No matter how many lights he turned on, the shadows around him still seemed to be creeping towards him, as though they were reaching out to suck the soul from his body. The shadows that had swallowed his son seemed to taunt him, laughing at his fear, reinforcing with every pounding heartbeat the knowledge that they would come for him when and only when they chose to do so. His only son, willingly embraced in the arms of some sadistic look-alike, leading him into darkness.

He could remember the happy child that Ryou had once been, innocent, and cheerful, until his wife and daughter, Ryou's mother and younger sister, had died. They had both died with them. And he knew, if he had only taken Ryou with him… But at the time it had seemed that that was no life for a child. He had been so broken, he had needed the work to take him away from all of it. It was just too much. He had wanted to join them but there was Ryou to think of; Ryou with his silky snowy hair like hers and he couldn't abandon the thought that something of her still remained. So he committed himself to work to support Ryou and he left because he couldn't let Ryou see him like that. Over time, the work began to consume him and the weeks turned into months and into years. He had given the Ring to Ryou as a present; a sort of compensation for all of the time that he'd been gone, but if he had just taken Ryou with him… That thought consumed him until the alcohol-induced darkness in his own mind finally overpowered his fear and swallowed his conscious.

"Do you think he'll disown me?" Ryou had been quiet the entire way back to their house from the Ishtar estate where they had spent the night but as the front door of the house where he had hosted Christmas parties and ran downstairs in nothing but a towel, laughing so hard that he'd tripped and lost the towel halfway, where his friends had passed out all over the living room after an all-night gaming party, where he and Bakura had learned to love, came into view, looming ahead of him like a bad omen, Ryou felt the fear grip him. His stomach dropped and his heart raced in his chest.

He'd told himself that he could handle it. He had been prepared for it. But that had all been speculation and now, with the obstacle actually in front of him, he wanted nothing more than to turn back, to not know at all and pretend that everything was fine. But if there was one thing that Ryou had learned from Bakura over the years, it was that nothing was alright - unless you made it that way.

Bakura never answered Ryou's question and Ryou knew that it was pointless to think about it now. It was too late for strategy. So Ryou kept moving; it was all he could do and when they reached the house, Bakura threw open the front door, which they found unlocked, and they let themselves inside.

The house was quiet inside. The sound of the door as Bakura swung it shut behind them echoed in the stillness and for a moment Ryou thought that maybe his father wasn't even there. But as the two entered the living room, the reason for the silence became apparent.

Bakura rolled his eyes in disgust at the sight before them. "Ugh, for this I got out of bed at 7 o'clock in the morning?"

Ryou Bakura's father was sprawled out in an armchair, passed out from the nearly empty bottle of liquor on the floor beneath his hand. Ryou tried not to wrinkle his nose at the smell. "Help me get him to his room."

Bakura could not understand why they hadn't just left his sorry ass in the chair downstairs. Instead, they had dragged him up to his room where Ryou had stayed with him for hours until Bakura had finally convinced him to make them lunch which unfortunately meant leaving him behind to watch over the ass. Bakura was not happy.

Staring down at this man that Ryou seemed to value so much … it just didn't seem right. He was so unworthy of Ryou. Bakura could not remember his father but he remembered some things about his mother. She had been beautiful, far too beautiful for Kul Elna, and she was strong and kind. She wasn't the type who would have given herself to just anyone, so he assumed his father must have been good to her, that she must have approved of him for some good reason. And to hear Ryou speak of his mother, she sounded so much like his own. Ryou worshiped her. He made her sound so wonderful that Bakura wished that he might have known her too. Ryou always insisted that his mother would have been happy for him, that she would have been kind to him. But instead they were stuck with his father, who was too chicken shit to face his own son.

"Ryou?"

Bakura looked up to find Ryou's father awake, staring at him through obviously blurry eyes. Bakura grinned a little at the irony. "Guess again."

Ryou's father frowned at him, sitting up a little too quickly for his condition. "Where is my son?" he demanded, clutching his head with one hand to ease the pounding and squinting at the light in the room.

"Don't even try to make me think you care." Bakura returned in the same tone. "It's insulting."

"Who the hell are you to tell me I don't care about my son?!" Ryou's father shouted, making his headache worse in the process.

"_I'm the one who's been here!_" Bakura yelled back, standing so quickly in anger that the chair behind him fell over backwards. "Where were _you_ every day that he came home crying and bruised from the bullies at school?! Where were you when he impaled his hand on the spire of his board game to save his friends?! Where were you when Marik sent us both to the Shadow Realm?! After I took a knife to his arm to make that deal. _Where were you to save him from __me_

You've never been there for him - not when he cried himself to sleep, not when he won an award for his essay in psychology, not when he had sex for the first time! You've got no right to complain that you don't like the way he turned out cause you had nothin' to do with it! You don't even _know_ him! And then you have the nerve to come around here - a stranger - and judge him!

Ryou's been so worried of offending you, he's spent the last week hiding every trace of what makes him Ryou until he's the same sniveling little child whose father abandoned him at the one point in his life when he needed him most!

I've been mean to him. I've hurt him and frightened him and used him but I've fought for him too. I've taught him to fight for himself. I love him. We've made our own way, taken our own revenge, we've yelled and screamed and fought and made love. Good or bad, I've _been_ here. I've earned the right to say I care. You don't even _belong_ here."

Ryou's father had no reply but when he looked up his expression changed and Bakura knew that Ryou was standing behind him. He turned to find Ryou staring down at the tray of sandwiches in his hands. His eyes were hidden by the strands of hair in his face, casting shadows too deep to see into. Bakura didn't bother to explain himself, it would only have made things worse, but Ryou's father threw off his blankets and stood, using the wall to support himself.

"Ryou," he pleaded, but his son did not look up from the shadows hiding his disappointment. "I know that what I did was wrong." his father continued. "I shouldn't have left you all alone here but this is not the solution." and he pointed at Bakura who glared back venomously. "The only family we have is each other. We can start things over. We can make this right. I can help you get rid of this monster." he said, a little more quietly as he moved toward Ryou. "I'll take you with me, back to Egypt, like I should have all those years ago. I have a place there. It's not very big but you can apprentice under me, have a career."

Mr. Bakura stopped when he noticed the tears streaming silently down Ryou's cheeks. Bakura frowned as he watched them. For a moment, they were swallowed in the silence until Ryou's quiet words cut through the thick air between them.

"One says 'Let him go. He hasn't been a father to you since your mother died.'. The other says 'Let him go. He is dangerous and troublesome.'." Ryou looked up to them finally, the tears still falling beneath a defiant gaze as his tone became more harsh with each passing second. "But I only have two people left in this life that I love. And flawed as they are, they are all that I have in this world. And here they are, each one asking me to turn my back on the other. _And I have to think that if either of you truly loved me you couldn't ask that!_"

Ryou didn't wait for a reply. He turned and ran from the room. Bakura was surprised that he hadn't just chucked the tray at them too on his way out. His father tried to go after him but Bakura held on to the back of his shirt until they heard the front door slam downstairs.

"Where is he going?" the elder demanded and Bakura refrained from saying that if he actually knew his son he would already know that. He also refrained from saying that there were half a dozen places he could be.

Bakura took a deep breath. "Malik, probably. That's where I'll start."

"Malik… I've met his sister Isis, at an excavation site in Egypt." the other replied, nodding. "Where do I find him?"

It took another deep breath for Bakura to say it. … "Come on."

It was strange for Bakura, to be walking to the Ishtar's house with Ryou's father instead of Ryou. Bakura sulked as they went, walking with his hands shoved deep in his pockets and glaring harshly at anyone who dared to glance their way. Bakura held onto the thought that what they were likely to find at Malik and Marik's house was far from what Ryou's father was expecting, having met Isis. It was his own private little sadistic pleasure.

"I really always…was just thinking of what was best for him."

And now it was gone.

Bakura's frown returned. "I'm not a "monster", you know." he said slowly. "I look out for him. … We're connected."

"But it's not supposed to be that way. I just wanted him to have a normal life."

Bakura turned down the front walk of a large house, much larger than their own, and knocked roughly on the front door, ignoring the doorbell. "In our little group of friends," he answered "he is normal."

Just then, the door flew open revealing Malik, right on cue. Malik glared harshly at them both. In fact, if Bakura had to guess, he was actually trying to incinerate them right there with the look.

"You two made poor little Ryou-chan cry." he accused and before Bakura had a chance to explain, he slammed the door in their faces.

Ryou's father stared at the door, blinking in shock.

"Well," Bakura replied flatly "obviously he's here."

Bakura opened the door himself and walked in. The other hesitated only a moment before following him, closing the door behind him. They walked through the empty foyer together, Ryou's father admiring the spacious area, accentuated with priceless Egyptian antiques, until suddenly the boy from earlier appeared in front of him. He gasped, nearly losing his balance as he tried not to run into the teen.

"You're a horrible man." the Egyptian stated with a slightly hurt look on his face. "How could you call your own son a monster?"

"I…I didn't, I…"

"Bakura is a part of Ryou." Malik added, cutting him off. "My father wanted to call me a monster." Malik continued and he turned to Bakura. "But he didn't have enough time before Marik ran him through."

"Yea yea, Ra bless his soul. Now where is my hikari?" Bakura demanded, ignoring the look of horror on the other man's face.

"He doesn't want to see you." Malik informed curtly. "He's very hurt right now, so you just go away. And take your daddy with you."

Bakura fumed. "_He ain't my daddy!_"

"You're a part of Ryou, aren't you?" Malik returned, pointedly, walking out of the room and leaving them there in the thick silence.

"You aren't _my_ anything, got that?" Bakura said, whirling around to point an accusing finger at Mr. Bakura before stalking off to another room.

Bakura found Ryou in the living room, curled against Marik's side on the couch. Marik looked up first, but his happy smile didn't make Bakura feel any better.

"Hey! It's Kura!" he shouted happily, waving an arm out toward the doorway. "And look, he brought the other one."

Bakura glanced back to see Ryou's father standing in the entryway behind him.

Ryou bolted up from the couch leaving Marik behind, staring at the suddenly empty space in his arms. "Huh."

"Dad!"

"Yes." Bakura confirmed. "And see, completely intact." he added, grabbing the other's sleeve and holding his arm up for Ryou to see. "I don't like him but if you'll recall your last school project little Yugi spent the entire night and he also left our house intact so as long as _daddy_ goes back where he came from at the end of his little visit, I'm glad if it makes you happy." the words were strained, some of them even forced a little but they were there and a smile began to from on Ryou's lips.

"And I'm sorry too." his father added, inching closer to Ryou slowly. "It's something we'll have to work at." he slipped one arm around Ryou and settled his hands on the teen's shoulders, "At home." and tugged him away from the couch as quickly as possible.

But not fast enough.

"And what's the matter with here?" Marik asked, tugging Ryou back by the wrist and placing an arm firmly around his shoulders. "I know that look in your eyes." he said, an almost evil smirk forming as he stared back at Ryou's father. "You're afraid of me."

Bakura heaved a sigh and fell back into an armchair. Nothing to do now but watch the show.

"What is it that you think I'm going to do to poor little Ryou?" Marik asked and Ryou rolled his eyes. This was not leading to a happy place. "We're Ryou's family too. We're like those cousins you see at the family picnic - lighting the egg salad on fire." he said, looking down to Ryou, who could have cried right there or laughed, he wasn't sure. "There's nothing we wouldn't do for 'im." Marik continued, giving Ryou's shoulders a squeeze and Ryou smiled.

"Especially if we could ditch Kura for a while." Malik added, entering the room and taking his place on the other side of Ryou, slipping his arms around Ryou's waist who blushed madly and suddenly found the carpet very interesting.

Bakura decided to stop the show before things actually did go too far. Ryou's father might have a heart attack if Malik suddenly remembered there was a couch behind him. Bakura pried Marik's arm off of his hikari with a glare and shooed Malik away. "Does everything have to be a game to you?"

"Why?" Malik asked. "Did we win?"

Bakura looked back at the elder man a few feet away. He looked a little pale. "Looks like."

"Ooh, look Marik, the couch." Malik exclaimed, turning on a dime as he noticed it there.

"Ok, time to go." Bakura announced, ushering the others to the door as Malik pulled Marik down to the couch.

"Ryou." Marik said, and the three looked back.

"Everything's cool now?" Malik asked sincerely and Ryou smiled and nodded.

"I think so. Thanks."

Malik smiled back brightly. "Not a problem." And then he found himself distracted from further conversation and the three Bakuras left; annoyed, horrified, and insanely happy as Ryou walked between his father and his other self on their way home.

"I can't believe your dad agreed to this." Bakura muttered as Ryou let Marik and Malik into the house and politely took their coats.

"Isn't this fun?" Malik asked Ryou excitedly. "The whole family together. It's just like a holiday! Your dad'll be so happy; you've got all your friends supporting you!" Malik threw his arms around Ryou and squeezed him tight. "And see," he added, pulling back "I even wore my favorite suit."

"It's your only suit." Marik reminded him flatly.

"I wore my only suit." Malik corrected himself happily. Ryou smiled. "And I promise, I won't hit on Jounouchi this time I swear."

"Aww, but that was the only thing that made the last dinner interesting." Marik complained with a smile.

"Although it wasn't as funny as when he hit on Anzu." Bakura added.

"Hey!" Malik snapped. "That wasn't funny, that was painful!" But it only made the two yamis snicker more.

Ryou might have said something but a knock at the door drew his attention and he moved to open the door for Honda and Otogi. Anzu came next ("I'm so happy for you Ryou." she said as they hugged at the door while Bakura glared on from the kitchen entryway. "I hope it goes well." he told her. "Cross your fingers.") followed by Yugi and Yami ("I'm sure it'll all turn out." "Thanks Yami." Even though it didn't really sound like Yami believed it, Ryou was grateful.).

"How many people are there left?" Ryou's father asked, watching their seven guests mingle in the living room.

"Just one." Ryou answered, looking at the clock on the wall. "Sometimes he's late." But just as he said it, the final knock sounded at the door and Ryou grinned. "But he's always reliable."

Ryou opened the door for Jounouchi who wasted no time rushing into explanation as Shizuka followed him inside, bowing politely to Ryou who bowed back.

"I brought my sister. I hope that's ok. I mean, I forgot to ask on the phone but I couldn't leave her at home ya know… with my dad."

"It's fine." Ryou assured. "I didn't know you were in town." he said to Shizuka. "I'm glad you could come."

"I just got in today." she answered. "I don't mean to intrude."

"You're not." Ryou said, smiling. "The more the merrier."

Shizuka smiled back and Ryou led them to the kitchen where they'd pulled out the table and sat it with his mother's china which Ryou still used even though they'd lost three plates in the last two years. Jounouchi had tripped last Thanksgiving and broken one, Yami had lost his temper and thrown one at Bakura's head while he was cleaning them at their celebration of the day he and Bakura had returned with the Items after they'd been sealed and Ryou had dropped one when he'd seen Mai kiss Anzu under the mistletoe last Christmas. That's how it goes, he supposed. His mother would have been happy to see them being used.

Jounouchi and Shizuka introduced themselves to Ryou's father who was beginning to settle down now that he saw not _everyone_ had an 'evil' twin that they were in love with and he seemed to be getting along with Yami which made Ryou relieved. Yami sort of broke the whole 'sadistic dark' image that Bakura and Marik seemed to have set as the stereotype, which Ryou figured helped Bakura's case in the end.

Despite his nervous smile as he took his seat between his father and Bakura, Ryou was not worried about the dinner. His father had not been a part of his life since he'd been a child and even though they had grown apart over the years, his father had not forgotten him. He was willing to get to know him. He wanted to be a part of his life - his _real_ life, and Ryou didn't care if it was late it still meant the world to him.

For the first time in years he felt what it was like to not have to lie to anyone, to have nothing to hide. He finally felt _real_ and despite the knot in his stomach as he watched Marik offer his father a cut of ham - off the end of his knife while Yugi was telling him what a skilled duelist his son was becoming and how he could even summon lower level monsters by himself now - off the field - in the living room - like the Man-Eating Shark he'd summoned that one time and Yami hastened to add that he'd dispelled it on his own too - just in time before it ate Honda who mentioned that he still had nightmares even though he was smiling, Ryou was having a good time.

He laughed and explained the nature of duel monsters, Yugi summoned Kuriboh, and his father even fed the fur ball. Ryou figured life couldn't get much better - even at the end of the day when he summoned his own little Rescue Cat and that shark slipped through again. Ryou figured it must really like him - that or it really liked Honda, since it seemed to single the brunette out like a child with a favorite toy. One day he would have to figure out how it kept slipping past him.

Ryou also thought it was a good sign that rather than running around and screaming, his father had taken charge of the situation. He was less happy that in doing so, his father had confiscated the card until further notice - but it seemed to make everyone else happy, especially Honda who had hugged the man and thanked him with tears of joy. Ryou had thought that was a bit much seeing as he hadn't gotten so much as a scratch either time but according to Malik, that's what parents were actually for so Ryou sighed and gave in.

For Ryou, life was starting over in a way. Even though his father would be leaving in a week to return to Egypt - without Ryou - nothing would ever really be the same. Ryou felt lighter without the lies to weigh him down, happier to know that he was really important to his father, freer to be himself without worrying that it wouldn't be good enough to keep his father from leaving him.

And Bakura was happy too. That night in the basement, gasping on the spare bed surrounded by all the glittering and priceless things as Ryou recited the poem he'd written between deep breaths, Bakura had never felt more whole.

Not even Ryou's father, asleep upstairs, had been unaffected. For the first night in years, he slept in peace, his dreams no longer haunting him with the image of a heartbroken, snowy-haired child. Instead, he dreamed of a happy young man, surrounded by loved ones, welcoming him home.

End

_-- _I must admit that I considered not adding the poem to the finished piece at all. It's not really important, after all. The important thing is just that Ryou wrote it for Bakura. But then I was concerned that the story itself might not be complete without it, so I've added it here as an Omake (extra) that can, or does not have to, be read. --

_Dark comforting abyss_

_Sacrificial blood and incense_

_My yami comes to me - in the dead of night_

_To pay homage - in heathen rights_

_Hot and shifting desert sands_

_The power of darkness is in my hands_

_Shadows surround - they take a bow_

_Each on one knee - they obey their vow_

_Fire burns in hearts of ice_

_It melts the struggle, it melts the strife_

_Our Gods do not surrender - they take control_

_To we who pray - they watch and know_

_Our lives to them mere grains of sand_

_The desert's vast, it fills our land_

_Yet in these arms - I am whole_

_You give me power - to fill my soul_

_And for your love I give my own_

_Light and dark then intertwine_

_And paint us both in shades of gray, like sands in time_

_And if my existence to you is bound_

_May eternity take me, our love is sound_

_Dark comforting abyss_

_In the darkness, two lovers kiss _

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Post thingies: I cannot believe that I got through this entire fic without giving the guy a name! (yay me?) But I just couldn't bear to do it, ya know. Well, if you liked, please review. Sorry it's been so long.


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